Refrigerating system



June 8, 1937 J. KIRGAN 2,083,231

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i i i INVENTOR. zfoluz/lii'a' 011/.

HIS A TTORNEY.

June 8, 1937. J KlRGAN 2,083,231

REFRI GERATING SYSTEM I Filed Aug. 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

IHIIIIII'I (III HIM 'l I I \R as Q I INVENTOR. tio n Ifu' cm/ Hi5 ATTORNEY Patented June 8, 1937 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM John Kirgan, Easton, Pa., assignor to Ingersoll- Rand Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 16, 1934, Serial No. 740,094

9 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating systems, and especially to refrigerating systems in which a liquid refrigerant is cooled by converting part thereof into vapor, and removing this vapor by means of a suitable evacuator.

An object of this invention is to provide a refrigerating system of this type, having a plurality of evaporator chambers, with a device which maintains and controls the supply of liquid refrigerant to the chambers, but which is not dependent upon any particular one of the chambers, and which continues effective as long as any chamber remains in action.

The invention is adapted for use with either closed or open systems of this kind; the closed system comprising a coil through which the chilled refrigerantis passed to have a cooling effect and then returned to the evaporator through a conduit; and the open system being one in which the refrigerant after use is conducted back into the evaporator through channels that are not entirely closed, but may be open to the atmosphere at one or more points.

The nature and objects of the invention are 5 set forth in the following description in which several constructions embodying the characteristics of the invention are set forth. But the disclosureis illustrative only and changes in various respects may be made without departing from the 0 principle .of the invention.

On the drawings, Figure 1 shows in outline a sectional view of one form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view of another form, and

Figure 3 presents a sectional detail.

5 The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

In Figure 1 the refrigerating system comprises an evaporator I to which a refrigerant is supplied by a pipe 2. The evaporator has several 40 chambers 3 and in each of these chambers is a well 4 connected .at the bottom to the inlet pipe 2. Each chamber 3 has an outlet 5 leading to an evacuator 6. This evacuator may beof the steam ejector or other type, and when the sys- 45 tem is in action, the evacuator or steam jet booster maintains a vacuum in the evaporator chambers so that some of the water, or other liquid refrigerant entering by way of the wells 4 is vaporized. Owing to the vacuum the re- 50 frigerant rises in the wells 4, overflows at the top, and streams down to the bottom of the chambers, and is vaporized as it falls. This vaporization cools the remainder of the water and the vapor is carried off by the steam jet 55 boosters to a condenser Where the steam and vapor are liquefied. The remainder of the water at lower temperature goes out of each chamber 3 through an outlet branch or riser I which'leads toa delivery conduit 8, just below the level of the bottom of the chambers. 3. Through this conduit the refrigerant is transmitted to the place where the refrigerating effect is needed, and is then returned to the evaporator to be again reduced to the desired temperature for further use.

In the event that the load on the system is decreased one or more chambers 3 can be rendered non-operative by cutting off the steam supply to the corresponding evacuators 6. V The pressure then rises in the non-operating chamber depressing the liquid in the well 4, so that no more flow over the top occurs, no more refrigerant enters that chamber, and the level of the.

liquid in the outlet riser 1 sinks, but remains high enough to seal that chamber from below. This condition is shown at the left in Figure 1. The other chambers continue to operate as required.

To regulate the supply of water to the evaporator, a container 9 is disposed preferably below the bottom of the evaporator l and connected to the conduit 8 by means of a pipe ill. The upper part of this container is in free communication through a pipe I l with the steam space in the condenser 33 as shown in Figure 3, and the interior of the container 9 is therefore always subjected to the pressure in the condenser. Hence,

the refrigerant flowing out through the pipe 8 will rise to a certain level in the container 9, and this level is determined by the difference between the low pressure in the evaporator chambers and the somewhat higher pressure in the condenser. The container encloses a float i2 mounted upon an arm H which is fixed to the outer end of a valve element M at the inner end of a supply pipe l5 which enters the container. 9. Therefore, as the level of the refrigerant drops in the container 9 the float will open the valve I 4 and allow more refrigerant to enter the conduit 8. The pipe l5 conducts make-up or replenishing water to the system to take the place of what is lost by vaporization or otherwise, and

maintains water neededfor operation at a substantially constant amount.

The level of the water in the float container 9 will always be a predetermined distance below the level of the water in any of the chambers 3 that are in action. This distance is determined by the pressure in the condenser, that is higher than the absolute pressure in the evaporator, the effect of water friction in the evaporator outlets, which would tend to depress the water lever in the container 9 being disregarded. On the assumption that the absolute pressure in the evaporator is constant and that the absolute pressure in the condenser 33 is constant, it is evident that the level of the water in the container 9 will rise or fall with the level of the water in the active chambers of the evaporator. Hence, the valve I4 will deliver make-up water to the system as the level of the water in the evaporator becomes depressed, or will stop the inflow of make-up water as the level in the evaporator rises. The changes in condenser pressure which may be caused by a change in the steam load or a change in the quantity or temperature of the cooling water for the condenser will somewhat afiect the ordinary fixed relation between the water levels in the evaporator and the container. This circumstance, however, is of no consequence, since the level of the refrigerant in the evaporator will soon adapt itself to any change in pressure conditions of this sort, and operation will continue as be-' fore with the evaporator level slightly higher or slightly lower than normal. The evaporator has sufficient height to make such variations permissible.

The level of the refrigerant in the float container is thus not dependent upon any particular chamber 3, and cutting out one of the chambers will in no wise influence the function of the container and the float and valve therein. The operation of systems of this kind often require the cutting out of one or more chambers to reduce the capacity when the demand for outside refrigerating effect or load falls ofi. With the arrangement shown, the container 9 will remain effective so long as any one of the chambers is kept in service, and thus certainty of operation will be afforded.

The system shown in Figure 1 is intended to represent a so-called closed system in which the refrigerant flows through closed pipes away to the cooling coil (not shown) and back into the evaporator. Figure 2 illustrates a so-called open system in which the channel through which the refrigerant-flows from the cooling coil back into the evaporator need not necessarily be closed at all points, and my invention can be employed also with a system of this type.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the container 9 is set up as before below the evaporator and connected to the conduit 8 so that the refrigerant can rise therein, and it is in free communication through the pipe II with the condenser 33. The level of the refrigerant in this container 9 however, indirectly controls the inflow of refrigerant through the inlet member or pipe 2. In this pipe is a valve I6 the casing of which has an extension I! into which the valve stem I8 extends, this stem terminating at its outer extremity in the head I9. Between the inner end of the extension I! and head I9 is a spring 20 surrounding the valve and normally tending to close it. The head I9 abuts against the diaphragm 2I at the outer end of the extension I! and this diaphragm is held in place by a cap 22 connected by a pipe 23 to the outlet conduit 8 beyond the pump 34 therein. This pipe 23 also contains a hand valve 25. Hence the pressure of the refrigerant in the conduit 8, as it is vpro- The pipe 23 connects with a branchpipe 24 that runs into the container 9 and the extremity of this pipe 24 within this container, has a valve I4 connected in any suitable manner to the float arm I3. When the level of the refrigerant drops in the container 9 the valve II will be closed so that the pipe 23 will not communicate with the interior of the container 9; Then the full pressure of the refrigerant in the conduit 8 will be exerted on the diaphragm 2| to open the valve I6, and more water can enter the evaporator I. However, if the water level rises in the container 9 the valve I4 will be opened so that some of the refrigerant in the pipe 23- can be vented by way of the branch 24. Thus the pressure on the diaphragm will be diminished and the valve can close or partly close so as to reduce the supply of water entering the evaporator I. Of course, the refrigerant that flows into the container, 9 through the 'pipe 24 will be too small a quantity to influence the operation of the regulating means.

The evaporator of Figure 2 has several chamhers-3. One of the chambers has its bottom 26 above the bottom of the evaporator, this bottom being connected to the top of the evaporator at one end by'a partition 21 while at the opposite end there is a weir 28 that rises from the bottom 26 and terminates short of the top of the evaporator. The pipe 2 supplies refrigerant to-the space below the bottom 26. A partition 30 separates this chamber from the chamber at the right, the partition 30 extending from the top of the evaporator downward but terminating short of the bottom of the evaporator and enclosing between it and the web or weir 28 a well 29. When the pressure in the evaporator is low enough, the refrigerant rises in this well and flows over the edge of the weir 28. The refrigerant will be vaporized in part as it falls from weir 28 and the remainder will collect on the bottom 26 and flow out through the conduit 8; The chambers 3 at each side of the chamber just described, likewise have wells formed by walls 28 which extend upward from the bottom of the evaporator adjacent the partitions 21 and 30 and the refrigerant enters these remaining chambers in the same way and makes its exit therefrom. Each chamber, of course, has its separate steam ejector which comprises a casing 6 containing a steam nozzle 3|. The ejectors have lateral branches -32 the ends ofwhich are attached to the top of theevaporator around the openings 5 and the casings of these ejectors or thermo-compressors lead to the condenser 33 above mentioned. When the system is operating at full load with all chambers active, the vacuum therein will be great enough to permit the refrigerant to rise in all of the wells 29 and flow over the mouths or tops thereof into the chambers 3. When operation at part load is desired, one or more of the chambers can be put out of service by manipulating the shut-off valve 35 in the branch steam pipe that leads to the ejector of that chamber. The higher pressure in the condenser will then take effect in that chamber, depressing the water in the well 29 and in the outlet branch 1 thereof as shown at the left of Figure 2. No more vaporization then occurs in this chamber while operation continues with the remainder of the evaporator. The cutting out of one'more of the chambers 3, so long as a single chamber remains in operation, will in no wise effect the container 9 and regulation of the water flowing through the pipe 2 will continue.

the pressure in the float container and in the evaporator then tend to become equal, so that the liquid in the float container may rise and open the valve to vent the pressure fluid from the line 23 and cause valve I6 to close completely.

I claim:--

1. In a refrigerating system, an evaporator wherein a liquid refrigerant is partially vaporized, a conduit connected to the evaporator to discharge the unvaporized refrigerant, means for admitting refrigerant ,to the system, a valve to control the admission of refrigerant, and means acting responsively to the pressure of said discharging refrigerant to control said valve.

2. A refrigerating system comprising an evaporator having an outlet for liquid refrigerant, evacuating means to remove vapor from the evaporator, means comprising an enclosed space to which said vapor is delivered at higher pressure than in the evaporator, a container in free communication with the outlet of the evaporator and with said space, a float in the container, and a valve controlled by the float to determine the quantity of refrigerant in the system.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator wherein liquid refrigerant is chilled,

means enclosing a space containing a medium at higher pressure than in the evaporator, a pipe to supply liquid refrigerant to the evaporator, a valve in said pipe, means discharging chilled liquid refrigerant from the evaporator, connections to enable the valve to be actuated by the discharging refrigerant, and means depending upon the difference in pressure of said medium in said space and the pressure in said evaporator to control the refrigerant actuating the valve.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator, a pipe to supply a refrigerant thereto, a valve in said pipe, a discharge conduit connected to the evaporator, a diaphragm to open said valve, a connection between the conduit and said diaphragm to actuate the latter, a container connected to said conduit, means enclosing a space wherein the pressure is higher than in said evaporator, means for keeping said container in communication with said space, and a-valve in said container controlled by the difference in pressure in said evaporator and in said space to regulate the connection to said diaphragm.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator having an outlet for a refrigerant, a condenser, means for discharging vapor from the evaporator into the condenser, a pipe to supply.-

refrigerant, and a container connected to said outlet and enclosing means dependent upon the difference in the pressures in the evaporator and the condenser to control said supply pipe.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator, a condenser, means for withdrawing vapor from the evaporator and discharging it into the condenser, a pipe to supply a refrigerant, a valve in said pipe, a discharge conduitfor the evaporator, a container connected to said conduit and said condenser, and means enclosed by the container and dependent upon the difference between the pressure in the evaporator and in the condenser to controlthe valve.

7 Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator, a discharge conduit therefor, a condenser, means for withdrawing vapor from the evaporator and discharging it into the condenser, a pipe connected to the evaporator to supply a refrigerant, a valve in said pipe, connections between said valve and said conduit to enable said valve to be actuated by the refrigerant in the conduit, and means dependent upon the difference between the pressure in the evaporator and in the condenser to control the,va1ve, said means comprising a container connected to the evaporator and the condenser.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator, a discharge conduit therefor, a condenser, an evacuator to discharge vapor from the evaporator into the condenser, a pipe to supply refrigerant to the evaporator, a valve in said pipe, and an enclosed diaphragm to open said valve, a connection from said conduit to the diaphragm to enable pressure to be applied to the diaphragm to open the valve, a container connected to the conduit and to the condenser, a float in the container, a branch from the aforesaid connection leading to the inside of said container, and a valve in said container to control said branch.

9. In a refrigerating system, an evaporator wherein a liquid refrigerant is chilled, an evacuator for removing vapor from the evaporator, means for discharging the chilled liquid refrigerant from the evaporator, means for admitting refrigerant to the system, and means acting in accordance with the difference between the discharge pressure of the evacuator and the pressure of the discharging liquid refrigerant to control the said admission of refrigerant.

JOHN KIRGAN. 

